Frugality

Today I have a guest post on my blog, dealing with a very current issue… money, and how to save it! Think Banking has very kindly put together the following tips to help busy parents to save pennies whilst out shopping. Please let me know what your top tips are when it comes to saving pennies!
Watching the pennies when grocery shopping

Walk into any store and you’ll be bombarded with temptation. Stores spend massive amounts of time and money on understanding how we shop and why we buy. They use this knowledge to their advantage – there are all kinds of things in a store designed to persuade you to buy now! Even the sweeties at the checkout are there to tempt you.

So how do you protect yourself from the power of temptation? If you want to save money buying groceries, you need to plan ahead! Preparation is going to be your key to success.
Make a shopping list and stick to it
The whole point of sticking to your (carefully planned) shopping list is to avoid buying anything you don’t really need.
Avoid temptation – go shopping in a hurry
It might sound odd, but if you need to be at the school gate in half an hour, then you won’t have time to pick up lots of extra items. Just make sure you’re not too rushed to make sensible decisions.

Shop less often
If you go less often, there is less temptation to overspend. Same goes for shopping on an empty stomach – which can seriously damage your willpower!

Buy in bulk to save money overallSpecial bulk offers are really tempting, but try to stick to things that you really need. Buying things like canned goods, soap powder or bathroom products in bulk can be practical because they will eventually get used. Buying perishable items in bulk that can go in the freezer is also fine – just make sure you don’t buy more than the freezer can hold!

Shop around

If you have time, you might find it’s cheaper to buy different products in different stores as they may have different promotions. You could buy your cleaning products at a discount store and bulk buys at a cash and carry of some kind. Also, compare your receipts from different stores to make sure you’re getting the best deals.

Don’t get hung up on brands

Try some non-branded items in your shopping list and don’t just fall for the advertising.

Check your bank balance before you go shopping

Have you ever spent so much that you left yourself short to pay your bills that month? thinkbanking current accounts are designed to help people stick to a budget. Opening an account like this is an extra step you can take to help you watch the pennies.